Tiberi Votes Against Continuing Major Job-Creating Tax Incentives For The Columbus Empowerment Zone

Despite the ongoing economic crisis affecting Ohio, Congressman Pat Tiberi voted to terminate current tax incentives provided to businesses and individual residents located within the Columbus Empowerment Zone. These tax incentives have allowed for significant revitalization in the Columbus area, and without them inhibit the city’s ability to create jobs and recover from the current economic recession.

“The Columbus Empowerment Zone was created to help support job creation and economic development, and it is beyond comprehension why Pat Tiberi would vote to end these much needed tax incentives while Ohio is facing double digit unemployment,” said Gabby Adler, Midwestern Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “If Congressman Pat Tiberi had his way, economic growth of the neighborhoods inside the Empowerment Zone would end and the revitalization experienced over the past nine years would be reversed.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-designated “Columbus Empowerment Zone” is designed to focus community redevelopment strategies and resources, in such a manner as to rebuild Columbus’ most distressed urban neighborhoods, and make them places that people want to come to live, work, and play. Some of the 12th District neighborhoods contained in the Empowerment Zone include East Columbus, Near East, Italian Village, and Old Towne East.

Background

Congressman Pat Tiberi voted against the Tax Extenders Act of 2009 (H.R. 4213), which would extend the special tax incentives for businesses and individual residents within Empowerment Zones for one year. [H.R. 4213, #943, 12/9/09]